People

Lennox Barnes’s life has come to a sad and bitter end. His story is heartbreaking and infuriating, with one part incomprehensible bureaucratic righteousness and three parts love, humanity and the shared will for profound change.

For those who haven’t heard, the details of his short life are achingly tragic. In May 2010, Lennox Barnes was taken from his home in Belfast, Northern Ireland. All indications are that he was a model citizen – he had no known history of bad behavior, and no aggressive or violent actions in his past.

Ashby Ponds resident Dick Rabkin worked as a patent attorney who helped bring the Rubik’s Cube to America

(ASHBURN, VIRGINIA) – Dick Rabkin spent over 15 years working as a patent and trademark attorney for Ideal Toy Company, which manufactured and distributed toys, dolls, and games beginning with the Teddy Bear in the early 1900s. “I had toys and games all over my office,” said Rabkin. The Ideal Company’s largest competitors were Hasbro and Mattel before the company was dissolved in 1985 a few years after being purchased by CBS. Some notable toys produced by the Ideal Toy Company include Mr. Machine, Chrissy, Betsy Wetsy, the Magic 8-Ball, and the Rubik’s Cube.

We celebrate a few of this week’s alumni below. Please help us make more alumni this weekend—check out our end of Adopt-A-Shelter-Cat Month Meow Mixer on Saturday for your last chance to adopt a feline friend for no fee! The event will take place at our Behavior & Leaning Center at 7315 Georgia Avenue NW, from noon to 5 p.m. If now isn’t a good time to adopt, consider joining our life-saving foster volunteer team.

MahoganyKatarina Vilkman has kept up with us through the years after she adopted pup Mahogany and took several WHS Behavior & Learning classes and private training sessions. Her latest happy update—the family is officially growing:“Dan and I got engaged and we included Mahogany in our engagement photo session! The photographer just loved her!”